Doug ‘Deo’ Odolecki stood on a street corner in Parma, Ohio, on Friday night with sign warning drivers about an upcoming drunken-driving checkpoint. The sign written on a piece of white poster board simply read, “Check point ahead! Turn now!”
Police had no problem with the sign itself advising of the upcoming checkpoint. In fact, Ohio law requires that the police advise the public of the exact location, date and even start and stop times of an upcoming checkpoint at least one week in advance, and then again a few hours prior.
Their problem was with the sign’s instruction to “Turn now!” That, they said, was interference with police business and resulted in Odolecki receiving a citation to appear in court.
God’s final checkpoint is just ahead. Yet many are speeding toward it completely unaware. For those who already know what lies ahead, there’s just one question: Where’s your white poster board? Where’s your warning to them to turn now?
“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2).
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Adapted from the article “Parma resident ticketed for sign warning of drunken driving checkpoint,” Maura Zurick, Northeast Ohio Media Group, published on Cleveland.com, 6/16/14
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #17395]